Multiple channel analog-to-digital converters
First Claim
1. An analog-to-digital converter system for converting magnitudes of sequential selected points of at least one analog input signal into corresponding digital code representations, said system having a plurality of signal conversion channels each of which can provide, separately, signal representations corresponding to respective said analog input signal points, if permitted to do so, with any said signal representation chosen depending substantially on where said magnitude of said analog input signal point occurs with respect to a range of magnitudes, said system comprising:
- a signal conversion channel decision means having a plurality of portions at least one of which occurs in only one of said signal conversion channels such that said portion provides said signal representation for that signal conversion channel, said signal conversion channel decision means having a signal input for receiving said analog input signal and having a plurality of reference signal inputs such that each said signal conversion channel decision means portion associated with one of said signal conversion channels can provide any said signal representation for that channel depending on whether said magnitude of said corresponding analog input signal point exceeds any, some or all magnitudes of reference signals occuring at said reference inputs if reference signals of various magnitudes are supplied to said reference inputs; and
a multiple signal provision means having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, said multiple signal provision means outputs each having available thereon a secondary reference signal of a selected magnitude if a primary reference signal is provided to at least some of said multiple signal provision means inputs where said multiple signal provision means outputs are connected to said signal conversion channel decision means reference signal inputs in such a manner that any secondary reference signal occurring on such a said multiple signal provision means output is supplied to that said signal channel conversion decision means reference signal input connected thereto.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement for reducing error in an interleaved analog-to-digital signal conversion system. The arrangement provides matching and adjustment certainty as the basis for such error reduction.
29 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. An analog-to-digital converter system for converting magnitudes of sequential selected points of at least one analog input signal into corresponding digital code representations, said system having a plurality of signal conversion channels each of which can provide, separately, signal representations corresponding to respective said analog input signal points, if permitted to do so, with any said signal representation chosen depending substantially on where said magnitude of said analog input signal point occurs with respect to a range of magnitudes, said system comprising:
-
a signal conversion channel decision means having a plurality of portions at least one of which occurs in only one of said signal conversion channels such that said portion provides said signal representation for that signal conversion channel, said signal conversion channel decision means having a signal input for receiving said analog input signal and having a plurality of reference signal inputs such that each said signal conversion channel decision means portion associated with one of said signal conversion channels can provide any said signal representation for that channel depending on whether said magnitude of said corresponding analog input signal point exceeds any, some or all magnitudes of reference signals occuring at said reference inputs if reference signals of various magnitudes are supplied to said reference inputs; and a multiple signal provision means having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, said multiple signal provision means outputs each having available thereon a secondary reference signal of a selected magnitude if a primary reference signal is provided to at least some of said multiple signal provision means inputs where said multiple signal provision means outputs are connected to said signal conversion channel decision means reference signal inputs in such a manner that any secondary reference signal occurring on such a said multiple signal provision means output is supplied to that said signal channel conversion decision means reference signal input connected thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. An analog-to-digital converter system for converting magnitudes of sequential selected points of at least one analog input signal received at a signal input into corresponding digital code representations, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of effective resistors electrically connected in series with resistor series outputs occurring at electrical connections between said effective resistors; a plurality of signal conversion channels each of which can provide, separately, said digital code representations corresponding to respective said analog input signal points, if permitted to do so, and each comprising (i) a plurality of amplifiers each having at least one input, and having an output, with said amplifier input being electrically connected at least intermittently to a selected one of said signal input and said resistor series outputs, and (ii) a plurality of threshold switches each having an input and an output with said threshold switch input being electrically connected to a selected said amplifier output and with each said threshold switch being such that, if electrically energized, said threshold switch output is in one state if electrical signals of a magnitude less than a first threshold value are applied to said threshold switch input and in an opposite state if such electrical signals are of a magnitude exceeding a second threshold value, and (iii) a code determination means having inputs and outputs with said code determination means inputs being electrically connected to selected said threshold switch outputs, each said code determination means being capable of providing, if electrically energized, a said digital code representation at said code determination means outputs depending on which states occur in said threshold switch outputs connected thereto. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
-
-
29. An analog-to-digital converter system for converting magnitudes of sequential selected points of at least one analog input signal received at a signal input into corresponding digital code representations, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of effective resistors electrically connected in series with resistor series outputs occurring at electrical connections between said effective resistors; a plurality of amplifiers each having at least one input, and having an output, with said amplifier input being electrically connected at least intermittently to a selected one of said signal input and said resistor series outputs; and a plurality of signal conversion channels each of which can provide, separately, said digital code representations corresponding to respective said analog input signal points, if permitted to do so, and each comprising (i) a plurality of threshold switches each having an input and an output with said threshold switch input being electrically connected to a selected said amplifier output and with each said threshold switch being such that, if electrically energized, said threshold switch output is in one state if electrical signals of a magnitude less than a first threshold value are applied to said threshold switch input and in an opposite state if such electrical signals are of a magnitude exceeding a second threshold value, and (ii) a code determination means having inputs and outputs with said code determination means inputs being electrically connected to selected said threshold switch outputs, each said code determination means being capable of providing, if electrically energized, a said digital code representation at said code determination means outputs depending on which states occur in said threshold switch outputs connected thereto. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
-
32. An analog-to-digital converter system for converting magnitudes of sequential selected points of at least one analog input signal into corresponding digital code representations, said system having a plurality of signal conversion channels each of which can provide, separately, signal representations corresponding to respective said analog input signal points, if permitted to do so, with any said signal representation chosen depending substantially on where said magnitude of said analog input signal point occurs with respect to a range of magnitudes, said system comprising:
-
a signal conversion channel decision means having a plurality of portions at least one of which occurs in only one of said signal conversion channels such that said portion provides said signal representation for that signal conversion channel, said signal conversion channel decision means having a signal input for receiving said analog input signal, and each of said signal channel conversion decision means portions having a clocking signal input and is permitted to provide said signal representation only after receiving a selected clocking signal on said clocking signal input; a clocking signal generator means having a plurality of clocking signal generator outputs which are electrically connected to said clocking signal inputs, with said clocking signal generator means, if electrically energized, providing a said clocking signal at each clocking signal generator output which is substantially periodic but where each said clocking signal so provided is of a phase differing from that of other such said clocking signals; and a plurality of phase adjusting means each having an input electrically connected to a clocking signal generator output and each having an output electrically connected to a clocking signal input, with each said phase adjusting means being capable of selectively adjusting times of occurrence of at least portions of signals provided to said clocking signal inputs in response to signals occurring at said clocking signal generator outputs so that each of said signal channel conversion decision means portions is substantially periodically permitted to provide said signal representations. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
-
- 36. A signal impulse transition time adjustment circuit having a circuit input and a circuit output, said circuit comprising a plurality of inverters each having a signal input and a signal output where such inverters are electrically connected in parallel such that each inverter signal input is connected to said circuit input and each inverter signal output is electrically connected to said circuit output, and at least some of said inverters also having control signal inputs at which control signals can be provided to selectively prevent such inverters from responding to at least some portions of signals provided at said inverter signal input.
Specification